The Coromandel is renowned for its picturesque golden sand beaches. Cathedral Cove, Hahei, Whangamata and Hot Water Beach are world-famous and very popular. However, The Coromandel is full of other hidden beaches that allow you to escape the crowds, so here are Driving Creek’s top 6 hidden beaches to give you a few ideas of places to visit. While we love to share our beautiful beaches, please remember to care for them by leaving them as pristine as you found them and keep to the Tiaki Promise.
Little Bay is a small 660 metre long beach located in between Tuateawa and Waikawau. Its charming character includes a mussel buoy with books to read and swap hanging from a pohutukawa tree, and usually a pontoon floating in the water to relax on. The bay also allows freedom camping- how unreal would it be to wake up with such a stunning view right on the water?!
Getting there:
From Coromandel Town head towards Waikawau, the drive is approximately 55 minutes. The bay is located where Tuateawa Road meets Waikawau Beach Road. Directions are available on maps too.
Opito Bay is a sandy beach with a gorgeous cove tucked just around the corner. Crayfish Bay is the perfect spot to go exploring and climb over the unique rock formations that make this bay special. The water is clear and the rockpools make it an ideal spot to swim and snorkel. The rocky ledge also makes for the perfect jumping spot. There is a small ladder attached to the sides of the rocks to help you climb back up; however, be aware of the swell and the sharp rocks while getting out of the water.
Getting there:
From Coromandel Town, Opito Bay is a 45-minute drive. To get around to Crayfish Bay, walk along Opito Beach towards the Pa- roughly 100 metres before the end of the beach, you will see a faint track marked with a sign pointing you over the fence to Crayfish Bay. Climb over the fence and follow the grassy path across the farmland to Crayfish Bay.
New Chums, or Wainuiototo, is a secluded beach only accessible by foot. New Chums can be busy over the peak of summer but are mostly remote the rest of the year. The journey is a combination of rock hopping and walking through native bush including an impressive grove of Nikau, New Zealand’s native palm. When you reach the beach you are greeted with insane views, white sand, clear water and shade offered by an abundance of lush pohutukawa trees. Climb up the rugged and steep track off the small saddle between Whangapoua and New Chums to the viewpoint for unforgettable coastal scenery. Take along a ball to have a friendly game of volleyball, a book to read while soaking up the sun or a hammock to sway in the trees. The waves here are thrilling so be sure to be a confident swimmer if the swell is up; however, plenty of fun is offered by this hidden gem.
Getting there:
From Coromandel Town, drive to the nearby Whangapoua beach (roughly a 25-minute drive). Drive to the far end of Whangapoua and park in the signed area. Head along the beach, cross the stream and continue to follow the rocky shoreline until it meets the path. Follow along the track and into the bush, then down onto the beach. The walk takes approximately 30 minutes, but it is worth it for the reward waiting at the end.
Looking for a short trip out of Coromandel Town? Waitete is the perfect spot for a swim or a small escape from the town. Waitete Bay is a beautiful sandy beach hidden away from the masses. A classic Kiwi beach, great for quiet days when you want to enjoy some peace.
Getting there:
From Coromandel Town, head towards Amodeo Bay and turn left at the old sign. There's a gravel road about 200 metres long that will take you to the beautiful bay.
Port Jackson is at the northern tip of the peninsula. It is where the Coromandel Coastal Walkway is based, so if you are a fan of mountain biking or hiking, this beach is for you! The incredible coastal walk takes 3.5 hours one way to Port Charles and encompasses the full beauty and remoteness by capturing the bush, farmland and coastline of the upper Coromandel Peninsula. Be prepared for an easy gradient to begin followed by short steep sections into and out of bays along the way. Stony Bay and Fletchers Bay mark the start and end points of the track and are great places to cool off after your adventures.
Getting there:
From Coromandel, follow Colville Road north to Colville Bay. From there, take Port Jackson Road to Fletcher Bay or Port Charles Road for 20 km to Stony Bay.
For more information, head to the DOC website.
If you are in search of the perfect spot for a beach day, Otama is the place: glorious golden sand, pohutukawa trees offering shade and tame waves to swim or surf in for hours. Pack a picnic and take your hammock along for the ideal beach day. There is an estuary nearby for families with younger kids to splash in the shallow waters and sand perfect for building sand castles. It is one of the more accessible beaches and very family-friendly or ideal spot for a relaxed beach day.
Getting there:
Otama is located 35 minutes from Coromandel Town. Wind your way over the hill towards Whitianga and turn off onto Blackjack Road, in Kuaotunu. Keep heading along Otama Beach until you reach the far end where you can turn off into a car park and head down the beach access.
If you’re looking for more beaches go and check out https://thecoromandel.com/activities/beaches/ for a comprehensive collection of The Coromandel's many beaches.
Driving Creek is home to the Coromandel Striped gecko also known as the Northern striped gecko. The species is threatened and nationally vulnerable. For a while, northern striped geckos were so rarely encountered they were considered to be the 'rarest geckos in the world.' More recent survey efforts have confirmed they are on the northern Coromandel Peninsula and can be locally abundant at sites with good pest control. (NZ Herpetological Society).
Early in 2023, a Driving Creek Conservation Team member discovered a Coromandel Striped gecko just outside of the Driving Creek boundary. This prompted a visit from the Auckland Zoo herpetological team to survey the habitat of this rare native species. Luke from the Driving Creek Conservation team guided the Auckland Zoo team through a tour of the property and discussed the conservation efforts of the team. Luke also was able to show the Zoo team where he first spotted the Coromandel Striped Gecko. The group discussed habitats and survey methodologies while viewing the Driving Creek Gecko enclosures.
The Coromandel striped geckos have slender bodies and can grow up to 95 mm in size (from snout to vent) plus their tails which are longer than their body length. The geckos have tan stripes covering their length and may have fine flecks of spots. Male striped geckos have three large pointed scales on each side of the tail base that differentiate them from the females. The geckos have brown or grey eyes and have a distinctive mouth with a pink lining and orange-coloured corners. The striped gecko is similar to the Pacific gecko and goldstripe gecko however, the orange in the corners of the mouth differentiates them. (“Toropuku Inexpectatus | NZHS”)
The striped geckos are arboreal meaning they live in trees and are nocturnal- active at night. They are found inhabiting coastal forests and shrubland. In the Coromandel, they have been seen sun basking on branches and tree trunks, often with their limbs parallel to their bodies. Captive Coromandel striped geckos have been observed leaping with force and speed as a form of escape technique rather than dropping like other native geckos. (“Toropuku Inexpectatus | NZHS”)
References:
The hard work and dedication of Driving Creek’s Conservation Team is producing great results for our beautiful native forest and wildlife. We now have evidence of a thriving kiwi population in the forest that surrounds Driving Creek and overlooks Coromandel Town.
Our Conservation Team has been trapping pest animals and expanding traplines to target mustelids, possums and rats since 2019; working to protect forest on surrounding Public Conservation Land as well as our own property. The conservation department seeks to create a safe habitat for the Coromandel Brown kiwi and other native species.
Our Conservation Team uses various methods to gage kiwi numbers in our area, including a trail camera network. The cameras are triggered by movement and capture images of kiwi or other animals that pass through key points in the project area. This allows the Conservation Team to track not only the presence of kiwi but also pest species.
In late 2023, Driving Creek was again part of a region-wide kiwi call survey, the second year in a three year survey organised by Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel Community Trust. Kiwi call surveys are one way to determine the presence of adult kiwi in different areas, with a positive bias towards male kiwi due to females calling less frequently. They can also be used to estimate and compare the relative abundance of kiwi populations, and are useful for understanding long term trends.
Simply put, a kiwi call survey is performed by walking to a high ridge late at night, sitting quietly, and listening for the kiwi distinctive calls for three hours in the dark over three consecutive nights. When the Conservation Field Ranger hears a kiwi call, they record the time, direction, estimated distance of the call (distance from the listener) and the gender of the kiwi, which is identifiable by the type of call, and record it on a data sheet.
“We want to stress that our kiwi listening emphasises minimal intrusion," says the Driving Creek Conservation Team. "Our aim is to let the kiwi live as naturally as possible while we learn more about their abundance and habitat preferences in our area."
Based on two years of our kiwi survey data, we can estimate there are two breeding pairs of kiwi plus an additional male bachelor in the area. We think this is the case, as kiwi only call when they are of breeding age and searching for a mate. When a male and female kiwi call in a repetitive pattern in close proximity, we identify these as “duet calls,” which is an indicator of courting pairs of kiwi.
Even more good news is that the recent kiwi survey data shows a dramatic increase from 1.38 calls an hour in 2022 to 5.75 calls an hour in 2023. This increase highlights the positive impact of Driving Creek’s Conservation work in trapping pest animals, removing environmental weeds and protecting the local wildlife.
We are ecstatic about this result and are planning to further expand the area which is covered by traplines to remove pest animals, expanding across more Public Conservation Land. We hope that the two pairs of kiwi will breed and their chicks will make it into adulthood to continue increasing our kiwi population.
While the survey results alone are incredible, our Conservation Team also experienced a rare, heartfelt encounter with a young inquisitive male kiwi, now affectionately named ‘Squeaky.’ The young male approached a Field Ranger during a kiwi listening survey, to within touching distancing and was seemingly unfazed by the rangers presence. "This is a brilliant example of the vulnerable nature of young inquisitive kiwi, and how important it is to keep pest animals and pets such as dogs and cats out of our forests" says the Field Ranger who had the chance to share this unforgettable moment with the young kiwi.
As we celebrate this milestone at Driving Creek, we would not be able to perform our conservation work without the support of other local conservation groups such as Moehau environment group, our relationship with Te Papa Atawhai and the financial support from Waikato Regional Council to buy traps for Public Conservation Land. We also must thank all of those who visit Driving Creek’s railway, zipline and pottery activities. As a not-for-profit we are continually expanding our conservation work to better protect and enhance our native environment and wildlife, with the evidence of a thriving kiwi population being an incredible outcome that we can share with visitors to Driving Creek.
